Thank you for coming here.
Today, I had a really good start because I was thrilled to read a comment from Vincent, who is one of my readers, aka one of YOU.
Thank you, Vincent! You made my day!
In the comment, Vincent told me that he was in a very similar situation:
- Great family with wife and 2 boys
- Feeling stagnant and bleak in his career
- Feeling negative and lost interest in doing anything
- Used to be quite a gamer
I was thrilled because I could see my post has resonated with my readers, well at least one of you. From above description, I think "Exactly the same situation" would not be too much of an overstatement.
And one of the two reasons for starting this blog is trying to be of help to you. Therefore, after reading the comment, I really felt like offering my two cents for Vincent to consider.
So here it goes and I hope it can be a bit useful.
What to do if you are feeling "hopeless" in career but cannot just "quit"?
I would like to suggest below 3 actions for your consideration:
- Do something, even if it is Gaming
- Never stop personal growth
- Take care of your job
The worst situation we could put ourselves in is a state of depression where we lose interests in almost anything and cannot assemble the energy to get anything done.
A friend once told me that he kind of envied those youngsters who sold their kidney for an iPhone because they really knew what they wanted (at least at that moment) and went all out to chase it. I was utterly shocked then, but I started to feel him a few months back.
So get active. Do something, anything that can make us feel "alive", even if it is gaming.
Hell, we need not feel guilty about gaming. We have worked hard, we have never escaped from responsibilities, we have always made sure we are worth the salary we take home. So no big deal if we sit back and relax and indulge ourselves in some gaming. So get the rig you have been thinking about, fire up some games and concentrate on it and enjoy! What's more, siting back and relaxing is the best course of action sometimes.
For me, I have completed "The Outer Worlds", "TitanFall 2" and I am hooked to "Fallout 4" now. With all those mods out there readily available, the possibilities and replayabilities are limitless. I pretty much install a new mod every time I play. And I can totally see myself starting "New Vegas" or even "76" if I continue to be stuck at home.
2. Never stop personal growth
After getting active, the next step is to accelerate personal growth. That is ultimately what we have to trade for money, positions and lots of other things.
There are many ways to do this and there are tons of articles about this. We will have to pick one that suits us and test it out and improve it along the way.
One thing I would like to point out is that we have to focus on "growth", not the process. In the state of depression, we can read or even take courses, but what we take in is very limited. And our "growth" becomes very ineffective and slow. So focus on "growth"！
One good way is to "output". Writing and teaching are great examples. They keep us active, because we have to think.
For the past few weeks, I have conducted two trainings on PowerPoint making and "Operations quick win" and I have coached a few consultants on their storyline and deck. I felt sense of purpose and meaningfulness and learned a great deal myself from these experiences.
3. Take care of your job (given virus)
Well there are two parts to it.
One is to look for a better job.
If we feel "hopeless" in our current job, it would be hard to turn it around in the short term because the important factors affecting job sanctification do not change over night, for example, your bosses, the current job scope, your colleagues, your network etc.
So getting a new job that provides better career perspectives and working environment is great way to improve the situation. That is what I did. I had my complications, but I think I made the right switch.
Do mind that we need to switch jobs for the right reasons. For example, think twice if you want to switch to a job which is not better in perspectives or pay etc, just to get away from your current boss. Your next boss could be worse. So be really clear what you can gain from your next job and what you are giving up by quitting your current one.
I understand that given the virus situation, it is not easy to switch jobs now. However, with every thread, comes opportunity. Be prepared, start applying and do not rush it.
The other one is to make the best out of your current job.
Consider reallocating our time on the job. There is no point in delivering outstanding work for a boss who does not know to appreciate. He either does not need an outstanding employee or he scares to death that you might out-shine him.
So do just enough and save the time for more meaningful things, such as personal growth or new project opportunities or even side jobs. And with us now working from home, it is easier than ever.
Thank you again, Vincent! Above is my two cents, for your consideration. I sincerely hope you will improve your situation soon. And if you care for a deeper discussion, please feel free to drop me an email. Rest assured, it is free!
Till next time!
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